Multiple compartment handbag



F. STRONG MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT HANDBAG Aug. 5, 1958 Filed Oct. 28, 1955United States Patent MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT HANDBAG Flora Strong, NewYork, N. Y. Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,399 1 Claim.(Cl. 150-28) This invention relates generally to handbags, purses, andthe like, and more particularly to an improved construction thereofproviding a plurality of compartments.

Under present custom, handbags are primarily carried by women andmisses, and are used to contain a large number of different articles.This is particularly so because for reasons of style, female attire isusually devoid of pockets, or if pockets are provided, they are smalland few in number. Frequently in the use of a ladies handbag, it isdesirable to have certain articles more readily available, so that it isnot necessary to rummage through the various contents in order to findthe same. For example, such articles may be spectacles, tickets, awallet, or small coins. In an effort to get these articles, the userfrequently causes others to spill, and it is therefore among theprincipal objects of this invention to provide improved structurewhereby certain articles may be maintained in a readily accessibleseparate compartment.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the articles maintainedin the auxiliary compartment may be placed therein or removed at willwithout in any way disturbing the contents of the main compartment.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the classdescribed, which by virtue of the simplicity thereof, adds little to thecost of the regular article, so that the same may have a consequent widedistribution and use.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a multiple compartmenthandbag in which, when the auxiliary compartment thereof is closed, arelatively inconspicuous appearance thereof occurs. This feature isadvantageous, not only from the point of view of reducing theft, butalso permits my construction to be utilized with hand bags having manydifferent basic designs.

The objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fullyappear in the progress of this disclosure, and be pointed out in theappended claim.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of theinvention in use.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 2-2 onFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of theinvention.

Turning to Figures 1 and 2, the device, generally indicated by referencecharacter 10, comprises broadly: a. main body 12, an intermediate wall14, a first closure element 16, and a second closure element 18.

The main body may include an annular side Wall which is suitablyintegrated with the intermediate wall 14, which forms the bottom of themain compartment 22. The first closure element 16 may be of suitableform, and as shown, is connected to the upper portion of the wall 20.The closure element 16 may have a mouth 24, which may be opened orclosed by the drawstrings 26. Depending from the intermediate wall 14,and preferably constituting a downward extension of the wall 20, is theauxiliary wall 28, which encompasses the auxiliary compartment 30.

The second closure element 18 preferably includes a panel member 32. Thepanel member 32 through preferably more than half its periphery, ispermanently connected to the lower edge of the auxiliary wall 28. Therelatively free edge portion 34 of the panel member 32 is detachablyconnected with the relatively free edge portion 36 of the auxiliary wall28 by means of slide fastener members 38 and 40. These may beinterconnected or separated in the usual manner by the slider 42.

In use, the main compartment 22 may serve to contain various usualarticles carried by the user, and access thereto is gained through theloosening of the draw strings 26 and placing the users hand down throughthe mouth 24.

Special articles, such as, for example, the spectacles 9, or a wallet,keys, passbook, or the like (not shown), may be maintained within theauxiliary compartment 30. When it is desired to remove one of thelast-mentioned articles, the user need only to manipulate the slider 42to separate the members 36 and 38, and thereby gain access to thecompartment 30. In Figure 1, for example, the placement or removal ofthe spectacles within the openings of the auxiliary compartment isshown.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, other types of closureretaining mechanism may be substituted, such as, for example, snapfasteners, or the like.

Turning to the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure3, the same is illustrated in connection with a relatively circular-typepurse. For the purpose of avoiding needless repetition, certain of theparts corresponding to those of the first embodiment are given the samereference character with the addition of a prefix 1. Here again, it willbe apparent that the high degree of utility is not sacrified by a changein general contour or style of the handbag, since the main compart mentand the auxiliary compartment are independently accessible for thereplacement or removal of specific articles as chosen by the user.

It may thus be seen that I have provided novel and useful handbagconstruction, which while presenting conventional appearance, enablesthe user to selectively distinguish certain articles and to segregatethe same for independent and convenient accessibility.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art to which thepresent invention relates.

I claim:

Ladies handbag construction comprising: a main body having a maincompartment therein and a first closure element associated with saidmain body; a bottom wall; an intermediate wall disposed between saidbottom wall and said main body; and a closure element associated withsaid bottom wall forming an auxiliary compartment; said closure elementbeing disposed entirely within the plane of said bottom wall so as to besubstantially concealed from view.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS285,305 Peirson Sept. 18, 1883 1,220,957 Conway Mar. 27, 1917 1,283,170Hauser Oct. 29, 1918 1,559,307 Bernardo Oct. 27, 1925 2,025,101 HalpinDec. 24, 1935 2,299,673 Zolkind Oct. 20, 1942 2,473,993 Meyers Mar. 8,1949 2,540,165 Fiel Feb. 6, 1951 2,555,778 Blurne June 5, 1951 2,730,152Stakofsky Jan. 10, 1956

